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29.10.2024

 

From Strategy to Impact: Marketing at Solidsoft Reply

As a Marketer, there’s broad scope to freely share and exchange ideas, find new ways to reach audiences and imagine new possibilities. This is even more meaningful when it concerns building, deploying and enhancing healthcare systems for people around the world, particularly those at a higher risk of being supplied fake medicines.

03.09.2024

 

The CIP Proposal for French Medicine Pack Identifiers

The Club Inter Pharmaceutique (CIP) proposes a new VIP Code as a national product code for medicines in France that are subject to verification using the European Medicines Verification System (EMVS).

22.08.2024

 

Digital Links and the One Barcode

There are approaches that can help, including GS1 standards that ease the burden and cost while maximising the effectiveness of barcode technology in the pharmaceutical sector.

16.07.2024

 

The Myth of the Monadic Barcode

Unfortunately, we cannot always have what we want. No single barcode approach can fully meet all these requirements, and this is unlikely to change. Let’s look a little deeper at the issue

18.06.2024

 

QR Codes vs. Data Matrix for Patient Information

This is not a head-to-head contest between alternative barcode standards in healthcare. It’s about the real-world trade-offs we make when we apply technology to its maximum advantage.

03.05.2024

 

Getting to know each other: Co-designing eCDR-Pro with an NHS Trust

Right from the start, the initiative began as a collaborative co-design exercise. Solidsoft Reply brought expertise in software development and CHFT contributed their deep understanding of hospital operations, so we relied on each other for the project’s success.

04.04.2024

 

Safeguarding Sweden from Falsified Medicines: My Reflections from our Stockholm Field Visit

I had the opportunity to join representatives from various Solidsoft Reply teams, including Software Engineering, Operations and Quality, on a 2-day field visit to Stockholm hosted by e-VIS.

12.03.2024

 

What are substandard and fake medicines - and why are they important?

The reality is, with all the available, tried and tested best practices, global standards and proven technologies, this relatively easily resolvable ‘manmade’ health challenge should not have been allowed to grow into the global health emergency that it is today.

08.02.2024

 

Unlocking the Future of Healthcare: The Latest GS1 General Specifications

The annual update to the GS1 General Specifications has arrived and there are some healthcare-related changes.

11.05.2020

 

Release of VeriLite 2.0

We have released VeriLite 2.0, the first major update of our cloud-based solution, immediately boosting Doctors, Pharmacists & Wholesalers fight against fake medicines across Europe.

24.02.2020

 

Identifying Products for CLM Management - A call to action

One of the main drivers for the adoption of closed-loop medicine (CLM) administration in the acute sector is the adoption of EMRAM. Closing that loop presents a challenge that needs facing.

25.11.2019

 

Medicine safety and product identification

Medicine safety is a central concern in modern healthcare. Ensuring that healthcare practitioners administer the right medicine to the right patient is crucial. A falsified medicine deliberately or fraudulently misrepresents its identity, composition or source.

21.12.2018

 

Which Microsoft Azure replication service should you use?

Microsoft Azure supports 4 different replication services, locally-redundant storage, zone-redundant storage, geo-redundant storage and read-access geo-redundant storage (also known as LRS, ZRS, GRS and RA-GRS respectively.)

21.12.2018

 

Microsoft Azure Service fabric containers and microservices

Microsoft Azure Service fabric makes use of many new service application methods to allow new ways to develop code in a better, more efficient and more rounded way.

21.12.2018

 

Changing from using a certificate thumbprint to a common name in a service fabric cluster

This blog will look into Microsoft Azure's certificate thumbprint as being the unique identifier of the certificate in the form of a hash value computed over the complete certificate.

09.01.2018

 

Identity Management Using Azure Active Directory B2C

In this article we the benefits of Microsoft Azure Active Directory B2C component which provides out of the box functionality for identity management. This eases the development and maintenance of applications that require login functionality and credentials management

19.12.2017

 

Azure API Management

Are you developing APIs and want to manage their full lifecycle? Concerned about usage, security and scaling your APIs? Azure API Management provides turkey solution to manage these concerns. Use the API Management portal in Azure to secure, publish and monitor your API Program.

13.12.2017

 

Blockchain; An Overview

In this article we cover the benefits of the Blockchain, how it works and how it achieves security and transparency of information.

07.12.2017

 

6 essential questions you need to ask if you're thinking about extending your data integration into the cloud

In this article, we discuss look at 6 questions to ask if you are considering extending your data integration into the cloud.

04.12.2017

 

Leveraging API Apps in Azure

Are you thinking of developing an API  and want to host it in the Cloud? Azure API Apps will meet your requirements. You can develop and deploy your API using multiple languages (C#, PHP, Java) and Web Frameworks (Node, ASP.net) . Harness features of App Services such as deployment slots, auto scaling and authentication with Azure AD and OAuth.

30.11.2017

 

Debunking the security myths stopping you extending your data integration service to the cloud

In this article we explore the myths of uncertainty that are stopping businesses from embracing the cloud, and why you should not let them hold you back.

22.11.2017

 

DateTime Conversion with Daylight Saving Time (DST)

In this article, we discuss how to convert of Datetime value from UTC to local time zone or from local to UTC or from one local time zone to another local time zone.

17.11.2017

 

Automating Azure ServiceBus Key Updates in BizTalk

Rotating access keys on a regular basis is good security practice. This post looks at how to simplify the task of updating Azure Service Bus shared access keys in BizTalk Send Ports and Receive Locations.

07.11.2017

 

Serverless Computing with Azure functions

In this article we discuss Serverless computing suing Azure Functions which enables you to build applications without the worry of maintaining or provisioning Virtual Machines in the Cloud

26.10.2017

 

OAUTH 2.0

In this post, we discuss the functioning of OAuth and how it has been able to provide a more secure authorisation than giving out passwords.

18.10.2017

 

The Benefits of Microservices with Azure Service Fabric

In this article, we discuss the benefits of Microservices and how Microsoft Service Fabric simplifies the building and deploying of microservices-based applications.

10.10.2017

 

WEBSERVICES; SOAP AND REST- A Simple Introduction

This blog post explores SOAP and REST, what they consist of and how they are used. It also gives guidance on what to look out for when making a decision on which to use in order to meet requirement.

02.10.2017

 

Comparing Container Services on Microsoft Azure

Want to build Microservices on the Cloud? With Azure Service Fabric and Azure Container Service, Microsoft now provides you the choice to build Microservices with a Paas plaform using .Net or alternatively.

25.09.2017

 

Protection in the cloud; Cybersecurity in Azure

High-profile cyber-attacks have been making the news recently. In this article, we will look at the benefits of using Azure Security Centre to secure your cloud based solution and protect it from threats.

18.09.2017

 

Specflow and Step Argument Transformation

Have you ever wanted to automate your acceptance testing process but been put off by complex custom classes? Specflow's Step Argument Transformation feature could be the answer. In this blog, we'll go over what step argument transformations, what they look like and how to use them.

12.09.2017

 

Database as a Service

Currently Microsoft offers 2 different types of Database as a Service; the classic Microsoft SQL Server run in a Platform as a Service offering, and the new no-sql DaaS called Cosmos DB. In this article we will give an overview of what Azure is offering and the differences between the two.

04.09.2017

 

Azure, or AWS? Making the decision when hosting applications in the cloud

The choice between your cloud services provider is an important one, and making the right decision could save your business money in the long run. This post will help to highlight some of the features of two of the key players in the game: Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.

30.08.2017

 

BizTalk 101 – How to consume a Complex SQL Stored Procedure XML Response, without a custom Pipeline

Many developers rely on custom pipeline to solve simple issues in Biztalk. In this article, we discuss how to consume a Complex SQL Stored Procedure XML Response, without a custom Pipeline.

25.08.2017

 

Embracing PaaS, and leaving IaaS behind

In this article we focus on PaaS and IaaS, and why Microsoft is pushing a shift to one from the other.

23.08.2017

 

Building Azure Logic Apps for Enterprise Integration scenarios

Building workflow or Integration based apps for the Cloud is a lot more easier now. With Azure's Logic App offering developers can now develop Simple or complex Workflow or Integration apps to be hosted on Azure. For more complex B2B scenarios developers can used the Enterprise Integration pack to integrate on-premises to Cloud business processes.

03.08.2017

 

BizTalk schemas and maps – some interesting tips

Schemas and Maps in Biztalk can be challenging. This article contains tips that Biztalk developers can use to resolve common issues faced while developing Biztalk Solutions.

28.07.2017

 

MODERN VS TRADITIONAL TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

Every business today is looking for ways to unlock the value of their data, connect disparate systems, increase efficiency, optimise the use of current IT while at the same time keeping the organisation secure. Why? Because competitive advantage, positive customer experience and a bulging bottom line are all dependent on it.

20.07.2017

 

5 REAL-WORLD DRIVERS OF MODERN INTEGRATION

Technology is becoming increasingly flexible, mobile and connected- the evidence is probably either in your pocket or your hand.
Smart devices are now built around a huge number of modern applications, many of which are tied directly into business functions – in essence the line between consumer and business has blurred.

11.07.2017

 

Comparison between DPA & GDPR

Before we start comparing, it’s worth highlighting that this is a bit of an “oranges & apples” thing because, technically speaking, the UK DPA (Data Protection Act) 1998 was enacted to bring British law into line with the 1995 EU DPD (Data Protection Directive, aka 95/46/EC) which is the one that is, now, being repealed and superseded by the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation, aka 2016/679) that was adopted in 2016.

14.12.2016

 

Creating an Azure Virtual Machine with a Custom Image

When creating a virtual machine in Azure, Microsoft provide a set of images for you to use that your virtual machines get built from. These include simple images such as Server 2012 r2 with nothing installed up to images with different operating systems and various pieces of software already installed, such as Ubuntu, CentOS and many third party applications. There are other reasons why you may want to use a custom image.

19.07.2016

 

Microsoft Flow

The public preview of Microsoft Flow was announced at the end of April and was showcased in a session at the recent Integrate 2016 summit in London. In this blog, Ed Loveridge demonstrates how to set up a simple Flow to send all tweets with a specific hashtag to a channel on a Slack team site​.

18.02.2016

 

System tests using Specflow

During a recent BizTalk project, one of the customer requirements was that system tests were to be written using Specflow. Specflow is an open-source framework which allows automated tests to be defined as Behaviour Driven Design (BDD) style specifications​. In this blog I will demonstrate how to install Specflow and outline the steps that were used throughout the project to create the tests.​

09.12.2015

 

Engineering Chaos

"The best way to avoid failure is to fail constantly". Over the last few years, Netflix has been improving their resiliency with the help of the ‘Chaos Monkey’ and an ever expanding ‘Simian Army’. Nathan Cooper looks at the lessons that can be learned from their rather unorthodox automated testing approach.​

08.07.2015

 

Microsoft Application Integration offering

Nino Crudele will be producing a series of articles about the latest and greatest in Microsoft technologies, some being directed to sales and management, others being more technically focussed towards the developer community.

30.06.2015

 

Managing object lifetimes with Owin and Unity

Owin is the new open source standard for building and hosting web applications, bringing huge improvements to web development both in terms of flexibility and developer productivity. This article will solve a particular problem that may be encountered when moving to Owin for applications using Microsoft's Unity dependency container.

20.04.2015

 

Introducing Self-Service BI with Power BI

In this series of blog posts, Nicholas Revell will discuss how Power BI and related Microsoft technologies can help you to implement a successful self-service business intelligence (BI) strategy.

01.03.2015

 

Power BI: Realise the benefits of self-service BI

Power BI is uniquely placed to help your organisation realise the benefits of self-service business intelligence (BI), whether you are starting from scratch or building on top of a traditional BI platform.

24.02.2015

 

Making Azure SQL more secure - Part 2

I had planned to review Row-level Security and Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), but support for TDE has not been announced yet (even though I can see the relevant system tables in V12 databases). So in this part I will just be giving you my assessment of row-level security.

23.02.2015

 

Making Azure SQL more secure - Part 1

There have been a number of new security enhancements recently to control and audit access to Azure SQL databases. These include Auditing, Dynamic Data Masking, Row-level Security, and Transparent Data Encryption. In this first part I give my assessment of auditing and dynamic data design and how likely I am to be using them.

19.02.2015

 

Can Azure ML replace SSAS Data Mining?

The data mining tools in SSAS (multidimensional mode) have been available since SQL Server 2000, and the range of data mining algorithms that are bundled are generally considered to be sufficient for most requirements.

12.02.2015

 

Is PaaS a safer bet than IaaS for SQL in Azure?

What I fundamentally need to achieve for HADR is a database system that is, as much as possible, always available ('online and accessible'), complete ('no data loss'), and accurate ('no data corruption'). For the purpose of this discussion, I am ignoring backup strategies on the assumption that they exist primarily to roll back databases to a previous known state.

09.02.2015

 

Use Custom Reports to close the Azure SQL gap in SSMS

Database management tools, such as SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) are mature products in daily use by database professionals around the world. This makes me wonder why Microsoft bothered producing their Silverlight-based Azure SQL Database Management Portal.

05.02.2015

 

Scaling out databases in Azure with sharding

Scaling out (or sharding) by adding more databases usually requires careful planning and provisioning to ensure even distribution of data. It also adds more administrative overhead, and increases the number of points of failure. In this respect, Azure SQL databases are the perfect candidates for sharding because they can be created or deleted on demand, provide near-zero administration, and have built-in fault tolerance.

01.10.2013

 

Why a dedicated TFS build server?

During initial discussions on structuring a new TFS installation, there is a regular but surprising (to me) question why a dedicated machine should be configured to host builds. I shall explain why the build function should be separated from TFS.

05.07.2013

 

BizTalk integration with SharePoint 2013 Online – Troubleshooting

Extending on a well documented walkthroughhere I thought I’d share some of the errors I came across while integrating BizTalk 2013 with SharePoint Online 2013.